Tag Archives: The Jam

“My voice was never really that glamorous. But a big vocal range really isn’t necessary for the type of songs I sing. For what I sing, my voice does pretty well.”
(Bob Dylan to Greg Kot in August 1993)

“All Mod Cons, released to wide acclaim in 1978, firmly cemented the group’s rise to extraordinary heights. Indeed, for many it was the first essential Jam album and listening to it now its impact has not diminished over time.”
-BBC

When I think about English records I think of The Kinks’ The Village Green Preservation Society, The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead, The Who’s Quadrophenia and The Jam’s All Mod Cons. To me all those albums are quintessential English.

All of them are fantastic albums.

All Mod Cons:

Released

3 November 1978

Recorded

4 July 1978 to
17 August 1978RAK (Upper London) and Eden Studios

Genre

Punk rock, Mod Revival, Power pop

Length

37:28

Label

Polydor

Producer

Vic Coppersmith-Heaven
Chris Parry

It’s their third full-length LP. It took it’s title from a British idiom one might find in housing advertisements, is short for “all modern conveniences” and is a pun on the band’s association with the mod revival as well. Of Course it is also Paul Weller’s view on the music business as a ‘con’.

God, I’m just a fat bald guy, 60 years old, singing the blues, you know?
~Joe Cocker
—
It’s all a matter of hearing what I like and seeing if I can make it fit into my style.
~Joe Cocker
—
MK: Who are your favorite contemporary singers?
BD: Oh, let me see, Joe Cocker, I suppose. Graham Nash can sing. Van Morrison’s fantastic.
And so is Stevie Wonder, but of all of them, Joe’s the greatest.
~Bob Dylan (to Martin Killer – July 1983)

Let It Be is a 1970 documentary film about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the album Let It Be in January 1969. The film features an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last performance in public. Released just after the album, it was the final original Beatles release.

Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress with a career spanning five decades. Recognized for having brought the sense of female autonomy andself-actualization into the entertainment industry, she is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in various areas of entertainment, as well as for continuously reinventing both her music andimage which has led to her being called the Goddess of Pop.

In the City (released 20 May, 1977) is the debut studio album of British mod revival/punk rock band The Jam. It was released in 1977 by Polydor Records and featured the hit single and title track “In the City”.

Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher gave Jon Wilde in The Guardian 60 seconds to tell them his all-time top 10.

Being given a mere 60 seconds to name one’s 10 Favourite Songs Of All Time would be a daunting enough task at the best of times. Being invited to do so by no-nonsense arbiters of taste Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller is extremely intimidating. Weller’s knowledge of music is zealously encyclopaedic. If Oasis hadn’t worked out, Gallagher could easily have carved out a career as an astute and funny music journalist.
– Jon Wilde (The Guardian, 2007)

I have used the same method on my Paul Weller list with a few differences; first, I decided that I would include equally many songs from his different bands, and , second, I picked two more songs and gave myself two minutes to complete the task.

Two minutes to make up my mind. Imagining Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller over my shoulders. It was fun!

Here is my Top 12 (4 solo, 4 by The Jam and 4 by The Style Council).

I think I like his solo stuff best, but I believe the guy’s range is incredible and I wanted the list to reflect that:

We have found four shows by The Jam (2), The Style Council and Paul Weller solo, they are all very, very good! I shouldn’t pick one of them but the greatest revelation is The Style Council’s set at the Roskilde Festival in 1985, it is just so good, they often get a bad rap but this proves that they were a great live band!

A short but sweet set from The Jam in Paris in 1981:

The Jam at Bingley Hall in 1982, an effing great show!

The Style Council – Live Roskilde Festival 1985:

From Paul Weller’s solo career we have chosen a great set from 2010 in Sidney were he mixes old Jam/Style Council stuff with his solo material: